How to Use Different Colors for an Interior Door & Frame

Color is one of the best, but least expensive, decorating tools. Interior doors can be more visually interesting with two colors used instead of one. The frame, painted a different color, will make a bold statement if painted a contrasting color to the door, for example. There are various ways to combine colors on the door and its component parts to add visual appeal. It's important to use exactly the right shades of color, however, to get the correct effect.

Things You'll Need

Sketch pad

Colored pencils

Basic paint colors

Contrasting colors

Paintbrushes

Masking tape

Choose room colors first. Select any door colors based on the surrounding space. Select exact shades of furniture, flooring and window treatments first of all. Never design doors to become a bold focal point of a room or hallway. Select colors for the doors to harmonize with other colors on walls or furnishings.

Use two neutral colors for room doors as one option. Define a basic neutral color, such as beige, to team with another neutral color. Use beige on most of a door's surface, for example. Add pale green (in a neutral green hue that will blend with many other colors) on the raised panels of the door. Use colored pencils to sketch the doors in detail before buying paint.

Paint trim and the door facing to contrast with the door. Use this particular technique by painting the door itself white, for example. Paint the door facing, surrounding trim, and small edges of raised panels in black. Use this method to give doors elegance in rooms with crown molding and chandeliers. Paint the crown molding black as well.

Use multiple colors for a child's room. Paint each quadrant of a door a different bright color, or paint each raised panel a different color. Do this only on the interior of the door, leaving the hallway side to match other hallway doors. Buy green, yellow and bright pink paint, for example. Paint one or more pieces of furniture in the room to match the primary colors used on the door.

Emphasize special trim around the door. Paint an ornate decorative header over a main door metallic gold, for example. Paint the door white but add ornate gold hinges that stand out. Use semi-gloss latex white paint on the door facing but add gold metallic paint to recessed edges of raised panels.

Tips & Warnings

Use masking tape to paint door edges and other sections. Use the tape to keep the two colors of paint from running together.